Sandman

Once again, thanks to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times (otherwise known as You Know Who) for playing along. Since the Corpus Christi Rayz are at the same point of the season as the Bees, I asked You Know Who about the playoffs as a whole, not just about one team. Enjoy…

(My Q&A with Brad Fuqua of the Prescott (Az.) Daily Courier is available here.)

1. Was Texas beating Bossier-Shreveport really that much of a surprise?

I think it was a surprise given how Shreveport seemed to dominate the regular season with that 24-game unbeaten streak at one point. Plus, all the talk out of there all season was how this Mudbugs team was going to be different come playoffs and they pretty much laid an egg like in past years. That said, regular-season records can be thrown out the window come playoffs because playing a team once every couple weeks hardly compares to a seven-game series over two weeks when weaknesses can be found and matchups exploited.

2. Were there any other surprises in the conference semifinals?

I was surprised Laredo swept Odessa in such a resounding manner. I figured home ice would net the Jackalopes at least one win. And I thought Youngstown would extend Colorado into a longer series than five games based on their series at the end of the regular season. But since I was seemingly the only media type on the Eagles’ bandwagon from the start, maybe that Colorado-Youngstown series wasn’t a surprise.

3: Why can Texas or Arizona save us from another Laredo-Colorado final?

Texas could do it because of David Cacciola. He stonewalled Colorado in the 2006 North finals when he was in Shreveport, albeit that was a better, deeper team than this Texas outfit. Arizona could do it if they could get their defensive play to match their offense. That’s a big if, though.

4. Why can’t Texas or Arizona save us from another Laredo-Colorado final?

I don’t think Texas has the depth to beat Colorado in a seven-game series. Beating Shreveport is one thing and Dan Wildfong and some of those ex-Mudbugs had a lot of insight into the opponent. The Eagles are a different breed of cat. Arizona just doesn’t have the defense or goaltending to hang with Laredo. If you give up 4.5 goals a game against New Mexico, that doesn’t bode well against the kind of firepower Laredo can put out there. Plus, the Bucks’ defense is so good that I don’t think the Sundogs will be potting six to eight goals a night.

5. Just how bad would it be for the league to have another Laredo-Colorado final? Or, is it a good thing?

I don’t think it’s a good thing for any league when the same three teams have been in the finals for five straight years. Even in baseball, where the Yankees spend a gazillion dollars on payroll, they haven’t won the World Series since 2000 and haven’t been in one since 2003. And in the NHL, nobody’s repeated since Detroit in 1997-98 or been in the finals for consecutive years since New Jersey in 2000-01. I really think with the way the CHL has gone in recent years, a lot of fans tune out come finals time because they know they’re getting the same old, same old with Laredo and Colorado (or Shreveport).

6. Who wins each conference final, and why?

Laredo wins the South because they have better defense and more reliable goaltending than Arizona. I expect the Bucks to take that series in five games. They’ve never really been challenged in the South finals but once (Amarillo in 2004) in the past four years. I don’t expect that to change. In the North, I’ll go with Colorado in five. Home-ice advantage is huge for the Eagles in that series and I think they’ll roll after taking the first two on their ice.

- Thanks again to Greg. I’m expecting at least one more Q&A by the end of the weekend.

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